Oh joy, Dean Winchester's out of hell
by E-D-C-B-A
Summary: Dean Winchester is finally out of hell. So why isn't everything getting easier? Part of my Whiskey is better than demon blood series


Dean Winchester seemed like a nice bloke, which considering John's parenting skills was a surprise in itself. Alice was sat on the bed she'd been sleeping on watching the happy reunion. Bobby and her having finally convinced Sam his brother was the real deal. Bobby moved over to her still apparently watching the brothers.

""He didn't do anything stupid did he?" The older hunter asked her, inclining his head towards her slightly.

"Define stupid?" Alice replied looking up at him, after all they'd run into Ruby on their way in and Alice considered Sam's alliance with the demon very stupid.

"Did he make a deal to get Dean out of hell?"

"No." Alice assured him smiling lightly, even though it made her face hurt and why did bruises take so long to heal the cuts had healed over within an hour.

"So you're Alice huh?" Dean asked as he turned to her, with Alice noted a hefty amount of suspicion in his eyes. Alice smiled warmly and nodded her head. "From what Bobby tells me I owe you for looking after Sammy."

"Don't mention it, was my pleasure." Alice said leaning back against the bed.

"You'll be sticking around right? Bobby tells me you're a brilliant hunter." Dean added eyeing her curiously.

"Sure, although probably not as much." Alice replied almost pensively.

Alice watched the three hunters discuss what to do next, keeping her input to a minimum although she did raise her objections to summoning Castiel. The hunters were decided though and Alice huffed, she was along for the ride whether she liked it or not she might as well keep fixing things her siblings tried to break.

* * *

"You should tell him." Alice told Sam from where she was sat on the car watching Dean and Bobby talk to the hunter lady.

"About what?" Sam asked although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer, he'd seen Alice's not amused face more time than he could count today.

"Your girlfriend for starters." Alice offered up, shrugging at the bitch face Sam shot her. "And me maybe?"

"You don't want anyone knowing your not a pagan remember? Besides Dean doesn't believe in angels." Sam reminded her.

"Lucky him." Alice muttered under her breath before adding for Sam's benefit. "And Ruby?"

"No." Was Sam said and Alice wondered if maybe she screwed up somewhere along the line.

But Sam was still demon blood free so she just sighed and slipped off the hood of the impala. The frown she shot Sam didn't even make her face twinge meaning the last physical reminded of her fight with Alastair was almost gone.

"It'll come back to bite us in the ass mark my words."

* * *

Alice had known this was going to happen when they decided they were going to summon Castiel but it didn't make her feel any better. She refused to join in their little séance type setting and had instead been sat in the corner when Pamela had screamed, she didn't think she'd moved that fast in years. The good news, which she was quick to tell the pacing hunters, was that Pamela's sight would be back in no time at all and Alice had sent a silent prayer to her father for the first time in who knew how long thanking him for the fact that she hadn't forgotten everything Raphael had taught her. Alice had to bite her tongue when it was insinuated it was Castiel's fault, it wasn't they were the ones who had summoned him it was their own fault. Not that Alice would mention that of course. Alice wasn't sure what the rest of them were going to do but she had to stay with Pamela so she let them get to it.

* * *

Alice did not like the look Sam was currently shooting her. As soon as she was sure Pamela would be okay on her own she'd gone straight to Bobby's house, only to find that they'd discovered who Castiel was. Sam had been eyeing her almost suspiciously since then and she was having a hard time believing Dean and Bobby hadn't noticed. When Bobby and the boys headed out to check on Olivia Alice stayed behind under the guise of continuing the research, which was a waste of time in her opinion, instead she did her best to tune out her angel radio which had started full force since Dean had made it top side and led down for a nap. Alice was surprised when she woke up to see Bobby's car but no Bobby so she got up to look. He wasn't in the house and Alice had a sickening feeling in the pit of her stomach that something was terribly wrong, still no point panicking until she found trouble. A crash from downstairs made her forget about stairs altogether and a second later she was standing next to Dean, and a rather sorry looking chandelier.

"Spirit." Dean tells her at her curious look. "Where's Bobby?"

"Was looking for him when I heard the crash." Alice explained, brow furrowing in puzzlement when Dean explained what they'd found and what had happened to them on the way back. "I haven't seen anything but I fell asleep." Alice admitted.

"Well now what do we…" Dean started before trailing off, eyes fixing on something behind Alice.

Alice turned around and found herself staring at a young woman with long red hair and wearing a very old and worn white dress.

"Oh dear." She whispered, comprehension suddenly dawning on her as she took a step back almost walking into Dean.

"You know her?" Dean asked, the woman looked like she'd stepped out of a history book.

Before Alice could answer the woman let out a shriek.

"It's your fault, you're the reason they died. When didn't you save them, why didn't you save me." She launched herself at Alice who for all intents and purposes seemed frozen in fear.

Dean grabbed hold of part of the broken chandelier and swung it through the spirit before it could reach her.

"What the hell was that all about?" Dean demanded just as Bobby and Sam turned up, dragging them down to Bobby's panic room.

Bobby explained what had happened to him and the Winchesters remarked on a brand they'd seen on the spirits.

"They're witnesses." Alice explained. "They foreshadow the apocalypse or so it's said, and they have to be the spirits of people killed by the supernatural. Which is probably why they're attacking the hunters who failed to save them in their eyes, although it's not their fault the mark makes them more like animals than regular spirits."

"So the girl who attacked you?" Dean asked slowly, he was interested to know more about this pagan and Sam hadn't been able to tell him much while Bobby seemed to respect her to much to tell him anything useful.

"One of my first hunts." She explained quietly. "I wasn't always a hunter but I decided I wanted to help my brother who'd been hunting with a group of hunters, they always hunted in groups back then, for several years. Anyway demons took particular interest in a small town in what is now Germany and we went to sort it out, the hunters got the women and children we were sure weren't possessed to hide in the church." Alice hesitated a moment. "Bad idea, we failed to find all the demons and the last few went on a killing spree. It's much easier when all the victims are in one place. I tried to stop them but I had to make a choice in the end, save those I could and leave the rest or risk having them all die."

"You chose to save those you could." Sam finished for her and Alice sighed.

"It's what made me want to actually become a hunter, not just help out now and then." Alice told them. "The girls name was Andrea, she stayed behind so I could get all the children out, she'd hidden them in the small chapel just off the church. The demon who found her tried to lure me back to him, and then he laughed when he killed her." Alice's eyes turned dark. "He didn't live to regret it."

"You did your best." Dean told her. "You can't save everyone."

"But sometimes it would be nice to save just one more." Alice pointed out earning a snort of agreement from the hunters present.

"Well if story times over I think I know how to get rid of them." Bobby informed them before launching into his explanation.

Of course the solution involved venturing out of their safe haven oh joy.

* * *

Alice wasn't a complete idiot, she knew Castiel was going to drop Sam in it sooner or later. Admittedly she knew he shouldn't have been using his powers, and he had even if he thought she didn't realize it, but it kept Ruby vaguely happy and as long as he didn't ingest any more demon blood it was manageable. Still she probably didn't have long before Dean found Sam with Ruby and that was more than likely to come to blows something she wouldn't stop, after all he had to find out eventually, so she had better hurry up. Sidetracking Castiel to the park she was waiting in was surprisingly easy but she didn't dwell on it as the trench coat wearing angel appeared in front of her. His face was a perfect display of nothing and Alice felt kind of sorry for her siblings if they were all like this.

"Who are you?" The young angel asked her.

"It doesn't matter, all that matters is I'm a friend of the Winchesters especially Sam Winchester." Alice informed him.

Castiel actually frowned and Alice was impressed.

"You're the pagan who has been trying to protect Samuel Winchester." He stated.

"Trying implies I didn't succeed, but anyway enough of that. I have a message for Michael which I want you to deliver, tell him that if he allows anyone to hurt Sam Winchester I will make Lucifer seem like a minor annoyance." She said happily and she could feel the younger angels grace react to that statement even if his face didn't. "Better hurry home Cassie." She said before disappearing back to the Winchesters hotel room.

Alice arrived just in time to stop Dean from hitting Sam a second time, although only just and Dean looked like he'd happily punch her instead so she kept hold of his wrist.

"Let me go." Dean growled trying in vain to pull out of her grip.

"Not unless you promise not to hit me or Sam." Alice replied evenly, making a show of rolling her eyes when he growled at her again.

"He deserves it." Dean spat and Alice raised one eyebrow. "He's been hanging out with Ruby, been using his freakish powers..."

"But on a plus side he has no more demon blood in him now than he did when he was growing up." Alice pointed out as she let go of Dean's wrist. "Your brother is under my protection Dean, I'd rather you didn't damage him mentally or physically."

Dean snorted eyeing Alice wearily. As soon as Alice was sure Dean wasn't going to hit Sam again she stepped out of the way, glaring at Sam as she she did and at least he had the decency to look ashamed. The resulting shouting match only ended when Sam got a call about a hunt.

* * *

It became quite apparent that while Alice was willing to tolerate Castiel she absolutely despised Uriel. Dean couldn't quite understand it, if it had been both of them she hated he'd of put it it down to Alice being a pagan and not liking angels. He'd asked her about it after they left the motel room and her only reply was that Uriel was a dick, something she said with enough confidence for Dean to take as fact. Besides he wasn't to fond of the bald angel anyway.

"Would they really destroy the town?" Dean asked her as they headed into the school, Sam was thankfully out of earshot.

"Yes, without any remorse." Alice replied, and Dean was starting to worry about her she'd had a funny look on her face since they'd found out about Samhain. A look Dean couldn't decipher but he doubted meant anything good. He was about to ask something else when she added. "Don't be to hard on Sam when this is over."

Dean opened his mouth to question her but someone was coming so he just shook his head and gave her an exasperated look.

* * *

He understood her better when it was over and he was glad he could fulfil her request. He understood why Sam had done it even if he didn't like it and he'd seen what it had taken out of his little brother. He'd also watched how carefully Alice had checked him over back at the hotel, fed him a candy bar and a coke and told him to sleep it off. He'd heard her mutter something about Ruby under her breath but it had been far to low for him to catch it all and he got the feeling he wasn't meant to hear any of it so he left it.

* * *

Sam was packing while Alice led on one of the beds reading. He felt much better now, although Alice had lectured him thoroughly as soon as Dean was out of the way and it had very nearly escalated into an argument. Alice didn't think Sam should have been able to do that unless he'd given into Ruby, which he hadn't thank you very much, and was obviously worried she'd screwed up whatever self imposed task she'd given herself. He'd finally convinced her that he hadn't accepted any demon blood from Ruby or anyone else for that matter and Alice had calmed down enough to admit that she could tell but was so surprised she'd thought she was miss interpreting things. That had been a couple of hours ago and they'd since settled in to a comfortable silence, interrupted only by Alice's snorts of disbelief while she read. She didn't even acknowledge Uriel's presence when he appeared in the room, except maybe a small frown which could have easily been to do with her book and the snort when Sam referred to the angels as dicks. Well that was until Uriel decided to threaten him, then Alice seemed to take note of his presence.

"You really shouldn't make idle threats Uriel, it's unbecoming of an angel." She said without looking up from her book.

"Excuse me?" Uriel asked, moving next to the bed with surprising speed.

Alice took her time marking her page, closing her book, and setting it down before looking up at the angel.

"You heard me." She stated calmly and completely unperturbed, like she couldn't care less about the discussion they were having.

"What makes you think it an idle threat." He questioned.

"Well I'd hate to have to damage you, which is what would happen if you tried to harm him." Alice pointed out, as if she was simply stating a fact of life.

Uriel sneered before turning back to Sam, telling him his brother should get down off his high horse and to ask him about hell. In all honesty Alice though that an angel telling anyone to get off their high horse was like the pot calling the kettle black but Alice had already made her point and it wouldn't do to antagonise Uriel further.

* * *

It was late evening now and Alice had gone for a walk around the town before they had to leave, admiring the Halloween decorations outside the houses as she went and smiling at the people going about their lives thanks to the Winchesters. It didn't take long for her to realize that Uriel was following her, for a moment she debated calling him out on it but decided against it, instead letting her walk take her to the cemetery of all places. After all she thought to herself as she weaved through the gravestones, he'd make himself known when he was good and ready. As she walked through the graveyard she danced her fingers around lazily, smiling to herself as flowers began to appear on the previously bare graves around her. She made it to the edge of the cemetery before Uriel appeared before her, regarding her work with a strange look on his face.

"If you wilt my flowers I will be most annoyed" She informed him as she stopped in front of him, out of necessity more than politeness as he was stood in the middle of the path.

"I've been wanting to talk to you for awhile." Uriel said, completely ignoring her comment.

"You have, twice I believe." Alice replied smirking when he turned to stare at her, obviously unamused.

"On behalf of Michael." He continued, and Alice wondered if he was actually going to acknowledge anything she said. "About your continuous interfering.

"I don't suppose he could be more specific could he?" Alice asked innocently.

"You are disrupting his destiny."

"Oh we're talking about my making sure Samuel Winchester didn't drink demon blood." Alice exclaimed with a shake of her head. "Is this because I threatened Michael?"

"He hardly finds you threatening." Uriel replied curtly and Alice couldn't help but grin.

"Oh but he really should."

"You will stop your meddling or we will make you." Uriel hissed at her.

Alice cocked her head to one side thoughtfully.

"Yea, you and who's army?" It was a really stupid thing to say but she really didn't give a damn.

"You pagans appear to have forgotten your place in our absence." Uriel mused as he stepped into her personnel space.

"Don't flatter yourself I've never known my place and you can tell Michael that I have the moral high ground on this matter." Alice relied lazily as she looked up at the angel. "I am going to keep looking after Sam Winchester he is my charge and you can tell Michael that. Now move out of my way before I move you."

Uriel's eyes narrowed at that and he did something that Alice deemed very stupid, he grabbed hold of her arm. Alice didn't stop to consider the consequences on her actions, or whether or not she'd blow her cover, she just grabbed hold of Uriel's shirt collar and slammed him into the closest mausoleum hard enough for dust to rain down on them. Uriel actually seemed shocked, although Alice wasn't sure if the feeling had reached his face she was more focused on his grace and whether or not he was going to try and fry her.

"You push your luck." He growled and Alice decided her cover was fine due to the lack of accusations or questions.

"I asked nicely." She pointed out but she did let him go and step back.

"You will not stop Sam Winchesters fate." He told her. "No one can stop destiny."

"That's what you think." Alice replied before turning her back on him, she didn't need to look back to know he'd left but she did just to be safe. She didn't put it past Uriel to try and stab her in the back.


End file.
